How SVEDA ™ Came to Be

Necessity may be the mother of invention, but sometimes it's a mother who will do anything to help her child—and that's exactly what inspired SVEDA™ Founder, Shannon Shiell.

For years, her daughter Lauren had struggled with eczema. Shannon and her husband, Ian, had tried everything, from natural and not-so-natural creams to salves and prescriptions, but nothing worked. One day, a call from Lauren, who was away at college, changed everything.

Her roommate had given her a homemade balm made with something unfamiliar: tallow. And within just a few weeks, Lauren's eczema… was gone.

That one moment sparked everything.

Why Tallow?

As Shannon dug into the research, she discovered what generations before us already knew: tallow had been used for centuries to moisturize, calm inflammation, support wound healing, and treat troubled skin—all without clogging pores or irritating sensitive areas.

The secret? Its compatibility with our skin's natural oils.

Tallow closely mirrors sebum—the skin's own protective layer (whose name, in fact, comes from the Latin word for tallow). When sebum is out of balance, so is your skin. Tallow helps restore that balance naturally.

The Nordic Connection

SVEDA's name reflects a deep connection to Swedish culture and the Nordic approach to wellness—one that embraces purity, simplicity, and nature-focused care. With strong Scandinavian roots in the Shiell family, this philosophy of working with nature rather than against it isn’t just inspiration, it’s tradition. It became the foundation of everything SVEDA™ represents.

From Family Ritual to Refined Skincare

Inspired by the results, Shannon and Ian began searching for high-quality tallow products—but were quickly disappointed. What they found felt heavy, greasy, or had unpleasant odors. Nothing felt luxurious or wearable.

So, they made their own.

With Lauren's sensitive skin and their son Drew's acne-prone skin as their daily test panels, they spent eleven months perfecting the balance of texture, scent, and performance—using only the cleanest ingredients they could source. They partnered with a US-based, FDA-certified lab to bring SVEDA™ to life, combining ancestral wisdom with modern formulation standards.

From Our Family to Yours

SVEDA™ was born in their home (not a boardroom), and it remains rooted in one simple belief:

Skincare should work in harmony with your skin, not against it.

Now, the Shiell family is proud to share what helped them, guided by Nordic values and a commitment to the pure, simple skincare every family deserves.